To date, the pharmacological treatment options for tinnitus are unsatisfactory. For acute tinnitus drug treatments are only rated as being successful in approximately half of all cases. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate a neuro-music therapeutic approach (the "Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy") as a new treatment option for patients with recent onset tinnitus after initial medical treatment has failed.

20 Patients were randomized to receive Neuro-Music Therapy after a waiting period not exceeding 6 weeks. Within this waiting time, patients undergo exactly the same diagnostic procedure as the patients of the treatment group.

Active Comparator: control group

Behavioral: Music-therapeutical stress management coaching

20 non-tinnitus controls matched in age, gender and hearing ability receive a music-therapeutical stress coaching program. This intervention is based on the main treatment components of the Neuro-Music Therapy for acute tinnitus with alterations of the tinnitus specific elements. Immediately before and after this five-day coaching, controls undergo exactly the same diagnostic procedure as the patients of the treatment group.

Detailed Description:

Acute tinnitus is the phenomenon of ringing or buzzing in the ears without an external sound source that is persisting for a maximum of three month. Several pharmacological treatment options for acute tinnitus have been established. Nonetheless, after initial medical intervention, tinnitus symptoms are often persisting and leading to substantial distress.

The objective of the present study is to examine the efficacy of the "Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy" for patients with recent onset tinnitus whose tinnitus symptoms are enduring after pharmacological treatment. The "Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy" is a manualized short term music therapeutic intervention lasting for 9 consecutive 50-minutes sessions of individualized therapy. It strives for an integration of strategies to manage the psychological state and possibly restore the underlying neurophysiological reorganisation. At the basis of this music therapy concept is the notion that tinnitus is experienced as an auditory percept - just as musical stimuli are experienced as auditory percepts. An outstanding feature of this treatment approach is the way in which patients actively influence their symptoms. This leads to an improved self-efficacy and a more differentiated picture of their symptomatology.

For patients with chronic subjective tinnitus the "Heidelberg Model of Music Therapy" has proven to be an efficient means to reduce tinnitus distress and loudness. Prior studies indicate that these positive results are due to the beneficial influence of the music therapy on the neuronal structures underlying tinnitus pathology.

In the present study the effects of the music therapeutic intervention on tinnitus severity and tinnitus distress for patients with acute tinnitus are evaluated on the basis of a battery of psychological tests as well as psycho-physiological measurements. A task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm is used to investigate alterations in neuronal networks supposed to be involved in tinnitus perception and chronification.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Clinical diagnosis of acute tinnitus persisting for a maximum of 3 month

Tinnitus related to anatomic lesions of the ear, to retrocochlear lesions or to cochlear implantation

Clinical diagnosis of severe mental disorder

Clinical diagnosis of Menière's Disease

Severe hyperacusis

Severe hearing impairment

Any contraindication for MRI scan

Initial medical intervention is not accomplished

Patients are not able to understand, read and speak German fluently

Patients are not able to give written informed consent

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01566708